U.S. Navy, served in submarines, was the only link to the outside world for Diego Garcia in 1972 and had "fun" in Northern Ireland right after Operation Motorman later in 1972. Proud to serve, appreciate those who currently are serving. You are the best this country has!
Retired United States Mint guy, now working on an Everyman Type Set.
June 1967 - June 1971 Active Air force after basic and tec school it was all overseas with lots of TDY everywhere then a few years in the Air guard and out
May 1989 USA Res AGR 1990 - Present US Army
Pat Vetter,Mercury Dime registry set,1938 Proof set registry,Pat & BJ Coins:724-325-7211
Started out as a medic in the US Army in 1994. Got commissioned as a Field Artillery officer in 2001. Spent time in Italy, Korea, Germany, Bosnia, as well as the states.
Tiger Land (Fort Polk,LA) for AIT and then off to beautiful Dong Tam, Viet Nam where I ended up attached to the Mobil Riverean Force which was a joint Army/Navy adventure.
Back home (Whew) to Fort Knox, KT but could not stand the spit and polish. Put in,and got a transfer back to Viet Nam. This time in DaNang. Was suppose to be a computer specialist but they needed a NCO to run the Base PX. Hmmm....all of that good training and the last year was spent selling goodies to the other folks and learning to Surf on the nice beach in DaNang. Not to mention massive amounts of Beer and Rum.
All in all not a bad experience but some moments were a little tense.
Almost forgot. After the Army I regained my Goverment Job and they needed people to help out in Viet Nam with the withdrawal of equipment from the country. Yep your right. Packed up and Hauled my Butt back to Viet Nam again. This time the Pay was quite handsome instead of peanuts.
U.S. Navy 1979-1981. Got out as a petty officer second class. Served on the U.S.S. Iwo Jima LPH-2 out of Norfork Va. Did 2 med cruises (6 months each). 1 operation in the north atlantic (3 months). We carried a ship load of marines on these pleasure trips!
Hello shipmates, still active duty US Navy. Proudly serving in the submarine force since January 1979. Retirment is not yet on the horizon :-). Ships served aboard (with pleasure): USS BERGALL (SSN 667) Norfolk, VA USS JOHN MARSHALL (SSN 611) Norfolk, VA USS BREMERTON (SSN 698) Pearl Harbor, HI USS EMORY S LAND (AS 39) Norfolk, VA USS SIMON LAKE (AS 33) LaMaddalena, Italy
U.S. Army 1972 - 1985... worked as a Scout... just like Elvis, only poorer!
Traded in guns and a first sergeant's hat for an authenticator/grader position at ANACS. Coins are a lot more fun, but I wouldn't trade the experiences!!!
retired USN Lt (SS) in 1982 servered aboard SS 244, SSBN641, SSBN645. Would not do it over again. worked my way up through the ranks from a SR out of bootcamp. Love collecting Gold coins.
U.S.M.C. - 1993-1997 Boot camp - PLT 1084 - July 1993 MCT - October 1993 ITB - November 1993 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines 1st and Weapons Plt Golf Co Kanehoe Bay MCB, HI - Jan 1994 - May 1997 Okinawa, Hokkaido, Mount (Camp) Fuji, Okinawa (Camp Hansen) - Japan - July 1994- Jan 1995 S. Korea Dec 1994 Military Police - Camp H.M. Smith Jan 1996 - Jan 1997
U.S. Army Reserves - Civil Affairs - June 1997 - Present S. Korea - Feb 2002 - Mar 2002 ...Iraq -
It always cracks me up the way flyboys and army dawgs get medals & ribbons for anything and everything. Last I heard the army was stiill giving out a ribbon for learning to throw a grenade. lol.
Active Duty Army 1989-???? Been stationed in the Persian Gulf region, Fort Lewis WA, Mannheim Germany, Fort Campbell KY, Fort Jackson SC, and Fort Wainwright AK.
Bsqr, I think the Army still gives out grenade throwing medals during or after Army Basic Training. Also to add, Army Acheivement Medals for taking out the trash and Physical Training Badges for doing a good job on the Physical Fitness Test. Some of these are really cheesy but that is the Army for ya.
In the Marines Corp, I got yelled at and thrashed because I did not get a perfect 300 Physical Fitness Test, my score: a 297. I guess when you are so close they want you to think you are a complete failure to get you to get that 300 next time. I never did. Only 285 - 298.
I know the feeling. I got thrashed (or bent as we used to call it) for failing to set a range record at Edson during rifle qual. Missed it by 5 points or something. Had I succeeded my name would have been put on that trophy in the chow hall. I wonder if that trophy is even there any more. Do you remember it at all?
US Army 1986-1990, 711th MI BN, 701st MI BR, Field Staion Augsburg.
MOS was 33Q
To those commenting on the US Army's policy on awarding medals. . .the Army does NOT give out a ribbon for grenade qualification (unless something has changed in the last few years). What they DO, is allow you to wear the grenade qualification badge but you cannot wear it outside of basic training unless you are part of or attached to a tactical unit. Everyone must grenade qualify in basic. . .a soldier first, and whatever you MOS is comes second. Secondly, I don't think the medal situation during peace time is much different than any other branch of the service. I watched an E7 get a meritorious service medal for heading up a classified project in northern West Germany. Did he deserve it? Hell no!! It was a final "gift" given by an O-6 for his 23 years of service. I watched all of this as I was trying to get a commendation medal for someone working for me who gave 110% the entire time. Unlike the E7, this E4 deserved what I put him in for but ended up with an achievement medal due to excessive amounts of political BS. No matter what branch of the service your in, there is always plenty of BS.
Those attached to Army strategic units know full well that promotions and anything else always trickles down to us. Strategic units aren't looked at much differently than a pile of dog poo. During my last year, our new brigade commander thought he had died and gone to hell (he was from air calvary).
<< <i>It always cracks me up the way flyboys and army dawgs get medals & ribbons for anything and everything. Last I heard the army was stiill giving out a ribbon for learning to throw a grenade. lol. >>
Just wondering - were any of the people you worked directly with killed in the line of duty? Did you ever have the opportunity of attaching body tags to six-year old toes? How many people have you seen burned alive? Better yet, have you ever had a chance to see first hand what jet fuel does to a person doused in it and on fire? You know, the way their skin bubbles up and pops in the extreme heat... How many plane crashes were YOU involved directly in? Ever have trouble with having bodies around and couldn't figure out which one the extra arm went with? Did you ever wonder why it was that even after you left morgue duty and went back to the dorm, you still had that smell of death in your nose, and no matter what you did you couldn't get rid of it?
Nahh, you were busy laughing at other branches of service because they were so petty and you were so macho.
Did you happen to see that top-left medal while you were laughing? It's the Bronze Star. That's not an Air Force or Army thing...it's service wide. The second one - That one's from serving directly with Marines, Navy, and Army in battle. I find it amazing that people of very low intelligence can slam other people and not have a FRIGGING CLUE what they've been through. You need to get a clue.
sorry to get you all in a tizzy. We were just engaging in some of that inter-service ribbing that goes on or least it did during my service. sorry you think I was slamming anyone. As for the rest of your tirade - thank God I never had to deal with body parts but I served in GWI and was(am) prepared to die. Having seen such things doesn't make you any better than I such that you can attack me as you have. You need to get a 'friggin clue' as you put it. I support all men and women who serve in all branches. How many 'Support our Troops' rallies have you participated in lately. Did you got this past weekend 'cause they were held oall over the country. I go and counter protest against the hate America crowd every Friday like clockwork with our large 8 foot custom made banner that says "We support our troops". Sorry you got offended. That'll be the only apology you'll get from me and I'm only offering it because I respect you as a veteran. Also, when was the last time you volunteered your time at the local VA hospital?
Air Force 1965-2000 Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam 1968-1969 Pentagon 1992-1996 (worse than Vietnam!) C-121 and C-141 Medical Air Crew Member
Good natured kidding about other branches of the military has always gone on and always will. But, as C.D. pointed out, you can't always equate the branch with the person's individual experiences. One thing is for sure: when the s*$t hits the fan, the U.S. military is the world's most awesome power to be reckoned with.
Side note: I refuse to buy anything, including coins, that are from France, Germany or Belgium. They can shove their Euros you know where! It's one thing to be anti-war, but it's another thing to villify the President of the U.S. and American citizens. The French would be speaking German right now if we didn't bail their asses out on 2 different occasions. As for the Germans, I will be glad to see us pull our bases and MONEY out of their country and station our troops in Eastern Europe. Sorry to get on the political soap.
I think I'll start a thread regarding the above........
Have to add my .02. I thought what we did in the Nam was a waste until Desert Storm. The Junior Officers that suffered through Nam did not let it happen again in Desert Storm. So, what we learned (or didn't learn) in Nam was put to use after all. Would do it again as long as we learn from each expierence.
>Subject: Marine in Bosnia > > >Note the signature, but read it last. > >From a Marine in Bosnia. Note the signature, but read it last. > >A funny thing happened to me yesterday at Camp Bondsteel (Bosnia): A >French army officer walked up to me in the PX, and told me he >thought we(Americans) were a bunch of cowboys and were going to >provoke a war. He said if such a thing happens, we wouldn't be able >to count on the support of France. > >I told him that it didn't surprise me. Since we had come to France's >rescue in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War, >their ingratitude and jealousy was due to surface at some point in >the near future anyway. That is why France is a third-rate military >power with a socialist Economy and a bunch of f_ggots for soldiers. >I additionally told him that America, being a nation of deeds and >action, not words, would do whatever it had to do, and France's >support was only for show anyway. Just like in ALL NATO exercises, >the US would shoulder 85% of the burden, as evidenced by the fact >that the French officer was shopping in the American PX, and not the >other way around. > >He began to get belligerent at that point, and I told him if he >would Like to, I would meet him outside in front of the Burger King >and beat his ass in front of the entire Multi-National Brigade East, >thus demonstrating that even the smallest American had more fight in >him than the average Frenchman. He called me a barbarian cowboy and >walked away in a huff. With friends like these, who needs enemies? > >Mary Beth Johnson LtCol, USMC
Army Medical Corps, Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, 1977-79.
Enjoyed the post from the Marine Lt Col. several posts back from mine, concerning the French. Our debt to the French for their aid in the Revolutionary War was amply repaid in WWII and at this juncture we owe them nothing. They hold everyone in contempt who does not speak their language. If the US must go it alone in our war against international terrorism, so be it.
Comments
lol.
rob.
Ray
after basic and tec school it was all overseas with lots of TDY everywhere
then a few years in the Air guard and out
May 1989 USA Res
AGR 1990 - Present US Army
Might even have a company before this thread is over.
Camelot
Air Police Squadron, Tampa, Little Rock
Anderson Air base, Guam
Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.
Tiger Land (Fort Polk,LA) for AIT and then off to beautiful Dong Tam, Viet Nam where I ended up attached to the Mobil Riverean Force which was a joint Army/Navy adventure.
Back home (Whew) to Fort Knox, KT but could not stand the spit and polish. Put in,and got a transfer back to Viet Nam. This time in DaNang. Was suppose to be a computer specialist but they needed a NCO to run the Base PX. Hmmm....all of that good training and the last year was spent selling goodies to the other folks and learning to Surf on the nice beach in DaNang. Not to mention massive amounts of Beer and Rum.
All in all not a bad experience but some moments were a little tense.
Almost forgot. After the Army I regained my Goverment Job and they needed people to help out in Viet Nam with the withdrawal of equipment from the country. Yep your right. Packed up and Hauled my Butt back to Viet Nam again. This time the Pay was quite handsome instead of peanuts.
Ken
my hotels
Russ, NCNE
Combat photographer PH2
Viet nam, Med, Cuba
Adolf Hitler
No good deed will go unpunished.
Free Money Search
Byron
My first YOU SUCK on May 6 2005
USS BERGALL (SSN 667) Norfolk, VA
USS JOHN MARSHALL (SSN 611) Norfolk, VA
USS BREMERTON (SSN 698) Pearl Harbor, HI
USS EMORY S LAND (AS 39) Norfolk, VA
USS SIMON LAKE (AS 33) LaMaddalena, Italy
Traded in guns and a first sergeant's hat for an authenticator/grader position at ANACS.
Peak Numismatics
Monument, CO
1999-20??
FOR SALE Items
<< <i>I've been there, done that. USAF : 1986-1996.
Which ribbon is for the Good Conduct Medal? Twowood
AFSC 1C491
Our Home Page
Looking for US Type Coins in XF-40 or better
Rhein Main Air Base, Germany
Tom
MSGT(RETIRED)
<< <i>Which ribbon is for the Good Conduct Medal? Twowood >>
Twowood - fourth row up, far left with two oak leaf clusters...to the left of the National Defense Medal.
The Lincoln cent store:
http://www.lincolncent.com
My numismatic art work:
http://www.cdaughtrey.com
USAF veteran, 1986-1996 :: support our troops - the American way.
Mike
Boot camp - PLT 1084 - July 1993
MCT - October 1993
ITB - November 1993
2nd Battalion 3rd Marines 1st and Weapons Plt Golf Co Kanehoe Bay MCB, HI - Jan 1994 - May 1997
Okinawa, Hokkaido, Mount (Camp) Fuji, Okinawa (Camp Hansen) - Japan - July 1994- Jan 1995
S. Korea Dec 1994
Military Police - Camp H.M. Smith Jan 1996 - Jan 1997
U.S. Army Reserves -
Civil Affairs - June 1997 - Present
S. Korea - Feb 2002 - Mar 2002
...Iraq -
Semper FI Devil Dawgs!!
Last I heard the army was stiill giving out a ribbon for learning to throw a grenade. lol.
Been stationed in the Persian Gulf region, Fort Lewis WA, Mannheim Germany, Fort Campbell KY, Fort Jackson SC, and Fort Wainwright AK.
I think the Army still gives out grenade throwing medals during or after Army Basic Training. Also to add, Army Acheivement Medals for taking out the trash and Physical Training Badges for doing a good job on the Physical Fitness Test. Some of these are really cheesy but that is the Army for ya.
In the Marines Corp, I got yelled at and thrashed because I did not get a perfect 300 Physical Fitness Test, my score: a 297. I guess when you are so close they want you to think you are a complete failure to get you to get that 300 next time. I never did. Only 285 - 298.
-matt
I know the feeling. I got thrashed (or bent as we used to call it) for failing to set a range record at Edson during rifle qual. Missed it by 5 points or something. Had I succeeded my name would have been put on that trophy in the chow hall. I wonder if that trophy is even there any more. Do you remember it at all?
MOS was 33Q
To those commenting on the US Army's policy on awarding medals. . .the Army does NOT give out a ribbon for grenade qualification (unless something has changed in the last few years). What they DO, is allow you to wear the grenade qualification badge but you cannot wear it outside of basic training unless you are part of or attached to a tactical unit. Everyone must grenade qualify in basic. . .a soldier first, and whatever you MOS is comes second. Secondly, I don't think the medal situation during peace time is much different than any other branch of the service. I watched an E7 get a meritorious service medal for heading up a classified project in northern West Germany. Did he deserve it? Hell no!! It was a final "gift" given by an O-6 for his 23 years of service. I watched all of this as I was trying to get a commendation medal for someone working for me who gave 110% the entire time. Unlike the E7, this E4 deserved what I put him in for but ended up with an achievement medal due to excessive amounts of political BS. No matter what branch of the service your in, there is always plenty of BS.
Those attached to Army strategic units know full well that promotions and anything else always trickles down to us. Strategic units aren't looked at much differently than a pile of dog poo. During my last year, our new brigade commander thought he had died and gone to hell (he was from air calvary).
<< <i>It always cracks me up the way flyboys and army dawgs get medals & ribbons for anything and everything.
Last I heard the army was stiill giving out a ribbon for learning to throw a grenade. lol.
Just wondering - were any of the people you worked directly with killed in the line of duty? Did you ever have the opportunity of attaching body tags to six-year old toes? How many people have you seen burned alive? Better yet, have you ever had a chance to see first hand what jet fuel does to a person doused in it and on fire? You know, the way their skin bubbles up and pops in the extreme heat... How many plane crashes were YOU involved directly in? Ever have trouble with having bodies around and couldn't figure out which one the extra arm went with? Did you ever wonder why it was that even after you left morgue duty and went back to the dorm, you still had that smell of death in your nose, and no matter what you did you couldn't get rid of it?
Nahh, you were busy laughing at other branches of service because they were so petty and you were so macho.
Did you happen to see that top-left medal while you were laughing? It's the Bronze Star. That's not an Air Force or Army thing...it's service wide. The second one - That one's from serving directly with Marines, Navy, and Army in battle. I find it amazing that people of very low intelligence can slam other people and not have a FRIGGING CLUE what they've been through. You need to get a clue.
The Lincoln cent store:
http://www.lincolncent.com
My numismatic art work:
http://www.cdaughtrey.com
USAF veteran, 1986-1996 :: support our troops - the American way.
sorry to get you all in a tizzy. We were just engaging in some of that inter-service ribbing that goes on or least it did during my service. sorry you think I was slamming anyone. As for the rest of your tirade - thank God I never had to deal with body parts but I served in GWI and was(am) prepared to die. Having seen such things doesn't make you any better than I such that you can attack me as you have. You need to get a 'friggin clue' as you put it. I support all men and women who serve in all branches. How many 'Support our Troops' rallies have you participated in lately. Did you got this past weekend 'cause they were held oall over the country. I go and counter protest against the hate America crowd every Friday like clockwork with our large 8 foot custom made banner that says "We support our troops". Sorry you got offended. That'll be the only apology you'll get from me and I'm only offering it because I respect you as a veteran. Also, when was the last time you volunteered your time at the local VA hospital?
Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam 1968-1969
Pentagon 1992-1996 (worse than Vietnam!)
C-121 and C-141 Medical Air Crew Member
Good natured kidding about other branches of the military has always gone on and always will. But, as C.D. pointed out, you can't always equate the branch with the person's individual experiences. One thing is for sure: when the s*$t hits the fan, the U.S. military is the world's most awesome power to be reckoned with.
Side note: I refuse to buy anything, including coins, that are from France, Germany or Belgium. They can shove their Euros you know where! It's one thing to be anti-war, but it's another thing to villify the President of the U.S. and American citizens. The French would be speaking German right now if we didn't bail their asses out on 2 different occasions. As for the Germans, I will be glad to see us pull our bases and MONEY out of their country and station our troops in Eastern Europe. Sorry to get on the political soap.
I think I'll start a thread regarding the above........
I salute all of you veterans, former and current!
Bob
Vietnam Vet 1968-1969
Officers that suffered through Nam did not let it happen again in Desert Storm. So, what we learned
(or didn't learn) in Nam was put to use after all. Would do it again as long as we learn from each
expierence.
1966-1971
I've been active duty for 10 plus years since 92, plan on at least 20 years.
Active Army (Regular Army)
Proud to serve,
Ray
We'll turn a light out for ya
Our Home Page
Eglin AFB, FL
US Embassy Tunisia
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US Embassy Zaire
Pentagon
US Embassy Brazil
>Subject: Marine in Bosnia
>
>
>Note the signature, but read it last.
>
>From a Marine in Bosnia. Note the signature, but read it last.
>
>A funny thing happened to me yesterday at Camp Bondsteel (Bosnia): A
>French army officer walked up to me in the PX, and told me he
>thought we(Americans) were a bunch of cowboys and were going to
>provoke a war. He said if such a thing happens, we wouldn't be able
>to count on the support of France.
>
>I told him that it didn't surprise me. Since we had come to France's
>rescue in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War,
>their ingratitude and jealousy was due to surface at some point in
>the near future anyway. That is why France is a third-rate military
>power with a socialist Economy and a bunch of f_ggots for soldiers.
>I additionally told him that America, being a nation of deeds and
>action, not words, would do whatever it had to do, and France's
>support was only for show anyway. Just like in ALL NATO exercises,
>the US would shoulder 85% of the burden, as evidenced by the fact
>that the French officer was shopping in the American PX, and not the
>other way around.
>
>He began to get belligerent at that point, and I told him if he
>would Like to, I would meet him outside in front of the Burger King
>and beat his ass in front of the entire Multi-National Brigade East,
>thus demonstrating that even the smallest American had more fight in
>him than the average Frenchman. He called me a barbarian cowboy and
>walked away in a huff. With friends like these, who needs enemies?
>
>Mary Beth Johnson LtCol, USMC
Enjoyed the post from the Marine Lt Col. several posts back from mine, concerning the French. Our debt to the French for their aid in the Revolutionary War was amply repaid in WWII and at this juncture we owe them nothing. They hold everyone in contempt who does not speak their language. If the US must go it alone in our war against international terrorism, so be it.